The Treasury has failed to allocate Sh6.5 billion needed to hire teachers to address the current shortage, putting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 100 percent transition policy in limbo.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says there is no money allocated to hire 12,626 teachers who are required to actualise the 100 percent transition from primary to secondary school in the 2019/20 financial year.
“We have a serious financing gap in the recruitment of 10,000 additional teachers, to address the current shortage, at Sh6.5 billion,” TSC chief executive Nancy Macharia told the National Assembly’s Committee on Education in Nairobi yesterday. She said there was a shortfall of 4,700 teachers.
The TSC will require Sh3 billion to hire the tutors, she told the committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly.
“About 12,626 teachers are needed each year to ensure the success of the 100 percent transition policy. We have completed recruitment of 5,000 teachers for Form Two.
“For those who joined Form One this year, we have no money to hire additional teachers for them. We are late in hiring because students are already in schools and the existing teachers are overstretched,” Ms Macharia said when she appeared before MPs to defend the budget for the commission.
She said that the TSC lacked funds for training of teachers on the Competency Based Curriculum.
The TSC has not been allocated Sh900 million needed to train teachers, she added.
“Funds for cost-sharing on Teacher Professional Development (TPD) modules amounting to Sh500 million have not been factored in the budget for the coming financial year.”
Ms Macharia said there is need for Parliament to push for more allocations for the TSC to employ interns to bridge the shortage.
“All government ministries and State corporations have money to employ interns. Why doesn’t the Treasury give the TSC money to employ the more than 307,000 trained teachers who are on